Mar 1, 2019, 1:26 PM IST
New Delhi: The parents of captured Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who took a late flight from Chennai to Delhi to receive him at the Wagah Border on Friday, were greeted with claps and cheers as soon as they boarded the flight.
Veteran Air Marshal (Retd.) Simhakutty Varthaman and wife Shobha Varthaman were lauded after their son Abhinandan showed remarkable courage and valour after Pakistanis captured him.
Abhinandan, who was flying a MiG-21 Bison, shot down an F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan Air Force by firing an air-to-air missile before his plane was hit during a fierce dogfight.
After he crashed on the enemy land, he destroyed all the documents on him, ate some and drowned others in a pond, and raised patriotic slogans before he was captured by the local youth.
On Thursday, Pakistan Imran Khan announced Abhinandan’s release as a “peace gesture”. However, it is believed that India successfully increased the pressure on Pakistan to release the pilot.